West Coast broke through for their first win for 2010, defeating Essendon by 23 points at Subiaco Oval on Friday night.It was goal for goal in an entertaining, high scoring and evenly contested first quarter, with the Eagles leading by 4 points at the first change. But it was one-way traffic in the second term, the Eagles taking control of the contest with six unanswered goals; and by half time the margin had blown out to 39 points. A low scoring third term saw the Bombers fail to make any impact in hauling in the deficit; and although the Bombers won the last quarter it was too little too late.Essendon haven’t beaten West Coast at Subiaco since 2000, but started brightly with two goals in the opening five minutes. But the Eagles got on top as the quarter went on, and the second quarter ensured the Bombers’ losing run across the Nullabor would continue. Ruckmen Dean Cox and Nic Nautanui dominated the ruck contests, while Mark LeCras was a handy target up forward with 4 goals. Jobe Watson with 34 possessions tried hard for the Bombers, but the Eagles always looked to have the game under control.The only dampener on the night for the Eagles was a serious hamstring injury to Daniel Kerr, who departed shortly before half time and played no further part in the match. But for the Eagles, the night represented the relief of finally getting on the board in 2010; a chance to kick-start their season.West Coast 5.5 11.8 13.10 15.11 (101) Essendon 5.1 5.5 6.7 11.12 (78)Goals : West Coast – M LeCras 4, J Kennedy 3, M Brown, D Cox, B Ebert, A Embley, A Hansen, N Naitanui, B Rosa, A Selwood. Essendon – P Ryder 2, D Hille 2, M Hurley 2, D Zaharakis 2, C Hooker, K Reimers, M Williams.Best : West Coast – A Embley, A Selwood, D Cox, B Waters, B Ebert, M Priddis. Essendon – D Hille, J Watson, D Zaharakis, J Winderlich, N Lovett-Murray, P Ryder.Injuries : West Coast – D Kerr (hamstring). Essendon – K Reimers (ankle).Reports – Nil. Umpires - McBurney, Margetts, Ryan.Crowd - 38,676 at Subiaco Oval.

Sydney continued their impressive opening to the 2010 season, extending their winning streak to three games with a comfortable 40-point win over North Melbourne at Docklands on Saturday afternoon.The first half was a captivating arm wrestle, a contest involving multiple lead changes. It was goal for goal, as each side took turns to attempt to establish a lead only to be hauled back in by the other. The Kangaroos led by 2 points at quarter time and by 1 point at half time, and remained in front midway through the third quarter.But with the game in the balance, it was the Swans who took control during the second half of the premiership quarter. The key moment came when Jesse White, who until then had only managed one possession, flew high to take a spectacular flying mark over Lachie Hansen. White, after taking the mark, kicked truly and the Swans swung into action.

There was no looking back for the Swans, as they kicked the last four goals of the third term before holding the Kangaroos to a single point in the last term. The final margin of 40 points was considerably larger than was looking likely two-thirds of the way through the match, but was a fair reflection of the Swans’ domination during the closing stages. Daniel Bradshaw was a destroyer up forward with four second half goals.Sydney 3.2 6.6 11.11 14.16 (100)North Melbourne 3.4 6.7 8.11 8.12 (60)Goals : Sydney – D Bradshaw 4, A Goodes 2, M Mattner 2, D Hannebery, B Kirk, R O’Keefe, J White, B McGlynn, J Kennedy. North Melbourne – A Edwards 2, D Wells 2, D Hale, L Thomas, B Harvey, L Adams.Best : Sydney – D Bradshaw, D Hannebery, B Kirk, T Kennelly, R O’Keefe, A Goodes. North Melbourne – B Harvey, R Bastinac, D Wells, H McIntosh, L Adams, A Swallow.Injuries : Sydney – B McGlynn (quad tightness). North Melbourne – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Nicholls, Schmitt, Jeffrey.Crowd - 23,646 at Etihad Stadium.

Adelaide’s quest for their first win of 2010 was again unsuccessful as the Crows went down by 48 points to Carlton at AAMI Stadium on Saturday afternoon.The Crows had more scoring shots, and were competitive around the ground, but poor finishing in front of goals would cost them dearly. The Blues led by 12 points at the first change, and the second quarter saw the Blues kick 5 goals to 1 to open up a match-winning 37 point lead at the long break. The Crows worked hard, but their poor finishing prevented them from ever building any momentum to try to work their way back into the contest.Former Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd, in his first game for 2010, was a ball magnet with 30 possessions. Andrew Walker accumulated 36 and Marc Murphy 32; while Jeff Garlett, Ryan Houlihan and Chris Yarran all contributed 3 goals to the Carlton cause. For the Crows, Bernie Vince with 31 possessions was their best possession winner.Carlton 5.1 10.4 12.5 16.7 (103)Adelaide 2.7 3.9 4.15 6.19 (55)Goals : Carlton – J Garlett 3, R Houlihan 3, C Yarran 3, K Simpson 2, E Betts, L Henderson, C Judd, S O’hAilpin, H Scotland. Adelaide – S Thompson 2, B Burton, Douglas, Knights, T Walker.Best : Carlton – M Murphy, K Simpson, A Walker, C Judd, A Carrazzo, R Houlihan. Adelaide – C Knights, T Edwards, B Vince, S Thompson, B Burton, A McLeod.Injuries : Carlton – Nil. Adelaide – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Wenn, Avon, Mollison.Crowd - 38,321 at AAMI Stadium.

Brisbane maintained their unbeaten record, coming from behind to defeat the Western Bulldogs by 22 points at the Gabba on Saturday night.An even first quarter finished with the Lions leading by a point at quarter time; but the Bulldogs took the ascendancy in the second term. Controlling the ball through the midfield, and with Barry Hall and Daniel Giansiracusa looking dangerous up forward, the Bulldogs kicked 7 goals to 2 for the quarter. The Lions were their own worst enemy, with a string of silly turnovers and some appalling accuracy up forward. At the long break, the Bulldogs held a 24-point advantage.But early in the third team, Bulldogs’ full-back Tom Williams was forced to depart with a neck injury. In his absence, Brendan Fevola made his way into the contest. Fevola had only got one possession in the first half, but found his touch in the third term with 4 goals to lead the way as the Lions would regain the lead shortly before the final break. Williams returned to the action in the final term, but by then the damage was done.The Lions had been easily the better side, and ended up with 36 scoring shots to 19. But some poor finishing kept the Bulldogs in the contest for longer than they should have. But eventually sheer weight of possession took its toll. The Lions remain undefeated, while the Bulldogs’ second loss sees them remaining in the mid-table zone.Brisbane 2.5 4.11 10.18 13.23 (101)Western Bulldogs 2.4 9.5 11.6 12.7 (79)Goals: Brisbane – B Fevola 4, T Banfield 2, J Brown 2, A Proud, T Johnstone, J Drummond, J Brennan, J Sherman. Bulldogs – B Hall 4, D Giansiracusa 3, D Addison 2, M Boyd, J Hill, S Higgins.Best : Brisbane – L Power, J Brennan, T Johnstone, M Leuenberger, M Rischitelli, J Brown. Bulldogs – S Higgins, R Griffen, M Boyd, A Cooney, D Giansiracusa, J Harbrow.Injuries : Brisbane – Nil. Bulldogs – T Williams (neck).Reports – Nil. Umpires - Stevic, Meredith, Findlay.Crowd - 33,323 at the Gabba.

Collingwood bounced back from their shocker against St Kilda last week, and did it in style with a comprehensive 64-point win over Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday night; the Magpies’ first win over the Hawks since 2006.The Magpies showed plenty more intensity around the ball than last week, blasting the game out of Hawthorn’s reach in a clinical first half. By half time, the Hawks had been restricted to just 2 goals and the Magpies already held a 46-point lead at the long break. And although Collingwood’s goal-kicking radar would desert them in the second half, the lead was already so imposing that the Hawks were never a chance to work their way back into the contest.Without Buddy Franklin, the Hawks needed several key players to put their hand up; but other than Luke Hodge, who worked tirelessly all night, few other Hawks made any significant contribution. To make matters worse for the Hawks, captain Sam Mitchell left the ground with a hamstring injury during the second quarter and played no further part in the game.Both sides went into the 2010 season with confidence and anticipation of a successful season. In these early stages, Collingwood still look on track despite their hiccup against St Kilda. But for the Hawks, with just one win in the first four rounds, a turnaround in form will need to come quickly.Collingwood 5.3 10.6 11.11 17.21 (123)Hawthorn 1.4 2.8 4.9 8.11 (59)Goals : Collingwood – L Davis 3, D Thomas 3, A Didak 2, D Jolly 2, T Cloke, B Macaffer, S Pendlebury, S Sidebottom, D Swan, S Wellingham. Hawthorn – J Morton 2, C Bateman, C Brown, J Lewis, C Peterson, J Roughead.Best : Collingwood – D Swan, S Sidebottom, H Shaw, D Thomas, S Pendlebury, L Davis. Hawthorn – C Bateman, L Hodge, G Birchall, C Brown, B Whitecross, S Gilham.Injuries : Collingwood – Nil. Hawthorn – S Mitchell (hamstring/back), X Ellis (concussion).Reports – Nil. Umpires - Farmer, Rosebury, McInerneyCrowd - 67,668 at MCG.

Melbourne left their woes of recent seasons behind then the Demons won their second game on the trot, recording a convincing 55-point win over Richmond at the MCG on Sunday.An entertaining and high-scoring opening term saw 13 goals being kicked, both sides playing open and attacking football. The Demons had the better of proceedings to lead by 17 points at the first change, but the game tightened in the second term and the Demons were unable to manage a goal as the Tigers fought back to trail by just 6 points at the long break.But when the game moved into the premiership quarter, it was the Demons who stood up and were counted. A lopsided possession count began to take its toll, the Demons consistently being first to the ball and presenting plenty of options up forward. Eight unanswered goals for the quarter blew the margin out to 50 points, and victory was assured.Colin Sylvia with 5 goals and Brad Green with 4 proved to be handy targets for the Demons; while Brent Moloney accumulated 37 possessions and captain James McDonald touched the footy 30 times in a great day for the Demons. Shane Tuck had 31 possessions for the Tigers, but too few of his team-mates made any meaningful contribution. The Demons find themselves only outside the top 8 on percentage, and confidence at Demonland is growing. But for the Tigers, the wait is still ongoing for their first win for 2010.Melbourne 8.1 8.7 15.11 20.13 (133)Richmond 5.2 7.7 7.9 11.12 (78)Goals : Melbourne – C Sylvia 5, B Green 4, M Bate 3, R Petterd 2, R Bail 2, J McDonald, M Jamar, L Dunn, C Bartram. Richmond – D Astbury 3, J Riewoldt 3, R Tambling, M Morton, B Nason, T Taylor, S Tuck.Best : Melbourne – B Moloney, C Sylvia, J McDonal, B Green, M Bate, C Bruce. Richmond –S Tuck, J Riewoldt, B Deledio, A Collins, B Nason, S Edwards.Injuries : Melbourne – Nil. Richmond – D Jackson (upper leg).Reports: Melbourne - B Moloney for striking B Nason during the second quarter.Umpires - Kennedy, McLaren, Grun.Crowd - 42, 594 at MCG.

The 1997 Grand Final saw Geelong humiliate Port Adelaide, and the Cats repeated the dose in Round 4 of 2010, dominating a lopsided second half to win by 95 points at Skilled Stadium on Sunday.The Cats led by 13 points at the first change, but the Power fought back in the second term and the margin was 10 points at the long break. But after the break, the Cats asserted complete control. 11 goals to 1 in the third term stretched the lead to 77 points and out of Port’s reach. From there, the only major target of note was whether the Cats would repeat their feat of 2007 by winning by over 100 points. In the end, it was only their poor kicking, with several kickable shots being missed during the final term, that denied them.Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett dominated proceedings with a multitude of possessions and 3 goals. Joel Corey and Paul Chapman were also effective ball-winners around the ground. Steven Johnson was an effective focal point up forward with a 6-goal haul, while mature-aged draftee James Podsiadly contributed 5 goals in his second AFL game. For the Power, few players made any meaningful contribution, although Domenic Cassisi tried hard all day.Geelong 5.3 8.7 19.14 23.21 (159)Port Adelaide 3.2 7.3 8.3 10.4 (64)Goals : Geelong – S Johnson 6, J Podsiadly 5, G Ablett 3, S Byrnes 2, P Chapman 2, C Mooney 2, J Bartel, M Duncan, T Hawkins. Port Adelaide – W Tredrea 2, R Gray 2, J Davenport 2, K Cornes, C Hitchcock, J Westhoff.Best : Geelong – G Ablett, P Chapman, J Corey, C Ling, J Podsiadly, H Taylor. Port Adelaide – D Cassisi, J Davenport, K Cornes, D Pearce, T Chaplin, B Ebert.Injuries : Geelong – Nil. Port Adelaide – N Krakouer (hip), C Cornes (broken nose).Reports – Nil. Umpires - Donlon, Chamberlain, Armstrong.Crowd - 25,579 at Skilled Stadium.

The clash of undefeated sides on Sunday twilight saw St Kilda take on Fremantle at Docklands. And, as widely expected, it was the Saints who would end up taking the points; but the gallant Dockers won plenty of respect and showed they will be a side to watch in 2010.For three quarters the game was a roller-coaster of constantly switching momentum. Multiple changes of lead in the first quarter saw the Saints lead by a point at quarter time. The Saints then threatened to get on top in the second term before the Dockers rallied to level the scores at the long break. Early in the third term, Fremantle made a break only for St Kilda to peg them back; and at the last change the margin was one point in favour of the Saints.The game remained in the balance, but that was as far as the Dockers could go. The last quarter was all St Kilda, the Saints kicking the first 4 goals of the quarter to set up a match-winning lead. And so the Saints continue their unbeaten run, their quest to right the wrong of last season remaining on track. Brendan Goddard and Stephen Milne were irrepressible forces up forward with a five goals apiece. But although Fremantle tasted defeat for the first time in 2010, their competitive performance showed how strong their improvement has been to date this season. Captain Matthew Pavlich was again impressive with a 5-goal haul.St Kilda 4.3 7.4 12.7 16.12 (108)Fremantle 4.2 7.4 12.6 14.9 (93)Goals : St Kilda – B Goddard 5, S Milne 5, N Dal Santo 2, A Schneider 2, C Jones, A McQualter. Fremantle – M Pavlich 5, S Hill 2, C Pearce 2, A McPhee, H Ballantyne, D Mundy, C Mayne.Best : St Kilda – N Dal Santo, B Goddard, S Milne, J Gram, D Armitage, C Jones. Fremantle – P Duffield, A Sandilands, R Hayden, D Mundy, M Pavlich, C Pearce.Injuries : St Kilda – Nil. Fremantle – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Vozzo, Ryan, Pannell.Crowd - 29,814 at Docklands.